May 31, 2012

Norristown, Pennsylvania has a population of 34,324 and a crime index of 13 – 100 being the safest. If you lived in Pennsylvania you would have a 1 in 273 chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime and if you lived in Norristown, Pennsylvania you would have a 1 in 87 chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime. The FBI collects information from 17,000 local law enforcements agencies and that is where they get the figures for these statements. In the last year Norristown has had 6 murders, 23 rapes, 172 robberies and 193 assaults. For every one thousand resident there are 42 of them that will be a victim. Norristown has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes. According to neighborhoodscout.com Norristown is number 59 in the top 100 most dangerous cities to live in.

It all started in a chain that led to 25 suspected drug traffickers in the Philadelphia area the first link was on Chain Street in Norristown with a 24 year old Costa Rican man. Late in 2011 Montgomery County Detectives learned from the Department of Homeland Security that the suspected drug dealer was living in Norristown. After this information they were compelled to get court approved wiretaps. District Attorney Risa Ferman said, “This target was, as we had learned, a major drug trafficker. He had a very diverse customer base. It was white, it was black, it was Hispanic, it was across ethnic backgrounds, that spoke to us and told us about the volume of drugs that he was trafficking.”

It took a large amount of work to get the wiretap OK from the courts but it was worth it. With that tool “Operation Chain-Link” gained momentum and helped the federal, state and local law enforcement. In this case alone 53 phones were seized from suspects. They use multiple devices to frustrate police who are trying diligently to track them. When these men were arrested they had 11 phones each. The DA has been working through the Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Association to change state law to mandate registration of prepaid cell phones. These phones are called “burner phones” and drug dealers typically use them. Let’s hope that the folks whom these dealers got hooked on these substances get help from one of the local Philadelphia drug rehabs.

That is very creative finding ways to get away from the police. If only they used their creativity in useful ways no telling what they could accomplish. Drugs are harmful to use in many ways in all of everyday lives. If you know someone who wants to get off drugs get them to an inpatient treatment center or one of the inhalant abuse rehabs where they can get safe and natural ways to detox and withdraw. Something can be done about it.